Feeling the Moment
by adrikins319
Summary: Lydia breaks up with Jackson after Night School (1.07), her decision changes a lot of things *now a series*
1. They Were Kids That I Once Knew

Lydia was forced to admit to herself that it was no good pretending a "mountain lion" attacked her and her peers that night at school. Beacon Hills was supposed to be a sleepy little town in California, not a horror movie in progress. Lydia was supposed to be the queen bee during her high school years and surprise her classmates with her genius when she inevitably got accepted to an Ivy League.

But everything is on the verge of falling apart. She could feel it… the same way she felt it when her parents decided to get divorced. Something sinister has been stirring since Allison Argent came to town and Scott McCall became the surprise star of the lacrosse team. Her façade was supposed to protect her from getting hurt.

She tries so hard not to let anyone see the real her. That's why she thought Jackson would be the perfect boyfriend, popular and self-centered. Somehow he slipped through the cracks of her armor. Jackson was just as damaged as her, if not more so. They were shallow and cruel but behind closed doors they had beautifully genuine moments. Lydia knows she loves Jackson but neither of them has ever said anything on the matter.

Today is the first day back to school after the night of the attack. Lydia hasn't seen or spoken to Jackson since. She has spoken to Allison a few times but the brunette has been too depressed over her "break" from Scott. Lydia wants to be sensitive about the demise of the cute couple but a part of her is pissed at Allison for how close she has gotten to Jackson.

Lydia needs to take action before everything spirals out of her control. She marches up to Jackson's locker and waits for him. He arrives not that long after she gets there and gives her a quizzical look.

"You want something?" Jackson says in his usual snotty tone.

Lydia looks at him for a moment and feels a genuine pang of pain because of what they have become. "We don't work anymore. I can't be with you."

Jackson snorts. "Like we ever worked. You just want to be free so you can hook up with McCall."

Lydia sighs and wonders why she put up with this charade for so long. "No. I don't want Scott. I've done a lot of thinking and I realized all we do is pretend. I am tired of pretending but you're obviously not."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I care about you, Jackson, more than I ever thought possible. When we're in public we are cold strangers that only care about social standing. I can't be this like this anymore."

Jackson just shakes his head in disbelief. "Whatever, Lydia. You'll come crawling back, you always do."

Lydia shallows the lump in her throat and blinks back the tears that want to desperately fall. "I'm sorry you feel this way. But then again, it's like you said the other night 'since when do I care'. I hope you find whatever it is you need to feel whole."

She walks away and sees that Danny and Stiles have been watching the entire conversation. Stiles looks like he wants to come to her while Danny goes to Jackson, but Stiles doesn't get the chance to go to her because she hides in the girls' bathroom as Scott approaches his best friend. -

The pain in Lydia's heart over her break up with Jackson intensifies when she sees him chasing Allison around. Lydia has isolated herself from the group that was trapped in the school that night. She stopped being a shallow bitch and embraced her inner nerd. She doesn't need anyone, only herself. No one really talks to her anymore since she broke up with Jackson, who ignores her and it makes her think that the privately sweet moments she felt during their relationship were one-sided. Letting go of Jackson should have been easier but for some reason he was different, and her heart won't stop skipping a beat when he walks into the room.

Stiles always says 'hi' to her but Lydia knows that encouraging his politeness would just motivate him to pursue her. Stiles Stilinski is too sweet and special to string along. Allison is busy with her Scott obsession but she always looks like she wants to approach Lydia. Sometimes, Lydia catches Danny studying her but neither of them confronts the other.

Things don't change until right before the winter formal when Stiles bucks up the courage to ask her out but Lydia declines. Stiles look crestfallen by the rejection and it makes Lydia feel like scum for declining his invitation. She does the only thing she can really think at the moment.

"I'm already going with someone else, Stiles, sorry." Lydia gives him a small smile and a light squeeze on his arm. Stiles narrows his gaze on her eyes and shakes his head.

"You don't have to lie, Lydia. I know you don't talk to anyone anymore, you could have just said you didn't want to go with me."

She feels worse than she thought possible. "I'm not lying, Stiles. I said I'd go with…" Lydia sighs and spots a boy three lockers away. "… with him. I'm going with Isaac Lahey."

Isaac's head snaps in their direction while Stiles' jaw drops. "Yeah, I asked Isaac out the other day because I was really rude to him freshmen year and I wanted to find a way to apologize."

Both boys stare at Lydia in silence. Isaac comes back to reality first and nods. "Um, yeah. She asked me out."

Stiles looks like he doesn't really believe them but nods anyway. "Right. Well, this has been sufficiently disappointing… so, I'm going to go. Bye."

When Stiles is out of sight Lydia turns her attention back to Isaac, the willowy boy is looking confused and very unsure of what just happened. "Thank you. You didn't have to back me up."

"Uh, it's no big." Isaac pauses and studies her with his crystal blue eyes. "I can't really believe that you remember what happened back in freshman year."

Lydia actually does feel bad about being rude to Isaac in freshman year because she never told Jackson, but she once saw Isaac running from his house in terror. Jackson and everyone else ignored the bruises that appear on Isaac or they blame lacrosse. Isaac has always been quiet and only ever interacts with Erica Reyes. Lydia only knows because after seeing him run from home that day, she catches herself watching him from time to time. Her popularity persona and Jackson were the only things that stopped Lydia from ever approaching the boy.

Lydia shakes her head and gently puts her hand on Isaac's arm. "I really am sorry for being a bitch to you that day. I'm even sorrier for ignoring you even after I saw you fleeing from your house."

Isaac Lahey looks panicked and ready to bolt but Lydia's hand keeps him in his place. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Fine. We'll pretend that's true, just like everyone pretends your bruises are from lacrosse practice."

Isaac rips his arm from her grasp. "You don't know anything."

"Your right. I don't know much about your situation but I want to change that." The boy looks so confused by the direction that conversation has taken. "I don't really have any friends and that's my own fault. I have been too afraid of being genuine with other people because I was terrified they'd hurt me. Turns out that people can still hurt you when you try to shield your heart."

"Are you talking about Jackson?"

A sad smile touches her lips. "Yes. I am, but I realized that I have grown to hate the girl I see in the mirror and I am simply tired of the persona I built. I want to try to have actual friends and I think you could use one."

Isaac looks away and they remain silent for a while. "I have a friend."

"Erica Reyes. I know. I've seen you guys together." The boy is startled by her admission but he doesn't say anything. "I think the three of us should hangout."

Isaac runs a hand through his hair and shrugs. "I guess I can talk to Erica and see what she says." "Okay. Let me know what you guys decide."

Lydia knew her life was not going to be the same after today… and she was very okay with that.


	2. Caught in the Crossfire of My Own Though

Isaac and Erica become permanent fixtures in her life after the first time they hang out at her house. Isaac comes to life when they are alone and Erica is a sassy she wolf that loves teasing them. Lydia lets Erica borrow her clothes because the blonde wants to feel sexy and Lydia wants Erica happy because her epilepsy shouldn't define her. Isaac spends the night whenever he can because he wants to escape his abuse and Lydia just wants him safe.

School buzzes with rumors and theories over Lydia Martin's fall from grace and the company she now keeps. Jackson sometimes takes time from his glamorous life to sneer at her and her friends. Stiles has adopted Scott McCall's look of general confusion. Allison and Danny mostly hang out these days.

Erica is the one that notices that Vernon Boyd sits alone every day at lunch, Lydia asks Isaac his opinion on Boyd and soon they adopt another misfit into their group. Boyd is quiet, except when Erica is around because he shines when the blonde is with him. Lydia and Isaac are sure they will be officially together before winter break.

Lydia and the misfits have become extremely open and honest with each other. Boyd and Isaac bond over their protectiveness of the girls. Erica can't go to the formal because the lights might set off a seizure, Boyd offers to keep her company while Lydia and Isaac make their appearance at the dance. Lydia and Isaac make a show of being sad they can't attend the formal but they agree that alone time is all the Boyd and Erica need to finally get together.

Lydia attends the dance in a shimmery dress that Isaac's tie matches. They walk to the dance since neither have cars and for once they both felt free.

"I never thought I'd be friends with you, Lydia. I'm glad I am though."

Lydia smiles a little. "I'm glad I stopped being the girl that never deserved you." I saac runs a hand through his curls and blushes. "It's more than that. You didn't just be my friend, you saved me. I mean, you try to make sure I'm not in a situation to be hurt."

"I care about you, Isaac. Boyd and I have been talking and we think you should file for emancipation."

Isaac sighs and looks at the ground. "I don't have proof I could live on my own or that my dad is abusive."

Lydia bites her lip and hesitates before putting her hand on Isaac's arm. "You do have proof of the abuse. The freezer."

Isaac looks away from the ginger. She feels like a douche for bringing all this up when they're supposed to being having fun. "I'll think about it."

"Okay." Lydia moves her hand from Isaac's arm to entwine her fingers in his. "Do you think they already admitted their feelings?"

Isaac laughs. "Definitely. Boyd is probably the one that broke first, Erica is too proud to do it first."

Lydia grins. "I don't know. Erica may have a few self-esteem issues but she's the kind of girl to go after what she wants when she feels confident. Boyd doesn't stand a chance."

Isaac's smile softens. "I don't really care how they get together. I just want them to be happy."

She can't help but melt inside a little. Lydia puts her head on his shoulder and sighs with content. "Me too, Isaac. Me too."

Lydia and Isaac reach the dance the same time as Allison and Jackson. Allison's cheesy grin fades when she sees Lydia but Jackson sneers at Isaac. Isaac starts to shrink into himself when Lydia glares at Jackson.

"Having fun slumming it, Lydia?" Jackson smirks while Allison shakes her head and goes into the gym to catch up with Stiles. Lydia rolls her eyes.

"Your pathetic, Jackson."

"Like you can talk. How does it feel to be a nobody?"

Lydia feels a familiar pang in her chest because even though Jackson can be such a prick, she loved him. She's frowns. Isaac gets between her and Jackson.

"She's not a nobody. She never was but I guess you wouldn't know that since you can't see anything past your mirror."

Jackson looks ready to hit Isaac before his eyes flick to Lydia and the hand twisted with Isaac's hand. "Screw you, Lahey. You think this thing is going to last. Wake up, loser. She'll ditch you when something better comes along."

Isaac tries to take a step toward Jackson but Lydia holds him back. She feels embarrassed of Jackson's words because they used to be true. She used to be that kind of girl.

"You're an idiot. You have no idea who she is and that's a damn shame because she amazing. But I guess that means I should thank you, right? I mean, if you weren't a hot mess then she would have never came to me."

Lydia can't help the rush of pride and desire that hits her as she watches Isaac smirk at Jackson. Jackson opens his mouth to make another angry retort but he doesn't get the chance. Lydia smirks and pulls Isaac with her into the gym. They walk in like they own the place and it feels great.

"You're the best." Lydia says as she pulls Isaac to an empty table. He blushes and smiles shyly.

"Thanks. I guess." He's back to being his usual sweet self. He's a little awkward but she smiles anyway.

"I loved him. But I could never be myself with him. Jackson was always the best when it came to cutting me deep. I just wish he didn't come at you. You don't deserve it."

Isaac cocks his head to the side and studies her for a moment. "You know that you don't deserve it either. He's your first love, I get that, but he's an ass. He shouldn't try to cut you down every chance he gets."

Lydia nods even though a part of her feels that she does deserve Jackson's harsh words. She may have changed but that doesn't erase how cruel she was to people in the past. She's just lucky she has Isaac, Erica and Boyd. She looks at Isaac and decides that Jackson isn't going to ruin this night for them.

"Let's dance."

Isaac looks startled. Lydia laughs and drags him onto the dance floor.


	3. Welcome To The New Age

None of this was supposed to happen. The dance was supposed to be a night of mindless fun. Isaac was never supposed to get hurt. He was on the lacrosse field because of her anyway… because she was worried about Jackson's disappearance.

Lydia sits in the waiting room with blood smeared on random sections of her silver formal dress. All she can think is that Isaac would have been safe if it weren't for her. He never would have gone looking for Jackson if she hadn't expressed her worry for her ex. Jackson kept his distance from them during the dance but Lydia noticed he seemed on edge when he thought no one was looking. She told Isaac as much when she realized Jackson was missing.

Isaac begrudgingly agreed to help her look for Jackson because he wanted to make Lydia happy. He didn't want her to worry, especially since he felt Jackson didn't deserve it. His kindness got him attacked by some creepy guy on lacrosse field and Jackson showed up in parking lot to help Lydia call for an ambulance.

Erica and Boyd show up after Jackson suspiciously leaves with Stiles. The blonde hold Boyd's hand as she sobs in Lydia's arms. The three teens sit together in the hospital room and hope for the best. Isaac's life shouldn't be this dark or complicated. He is the sweetest boy Lydia's ever gotten to know, she can't imagine her life without him anymore.

A commotion pulls Lydia from her thoughts. It's Mr. Lahey looking wild as he yells at some nurses. "What the hell happened to my son?"

Lydia looks at Boyd and realizes that they have no chance at keeping Mr. Lahey away from Isaac because no one knows about the abuse. Surprisingly, Erica is the one to spring into action.

"You have some nerve showing your face here. Acting like you actually give a damn about Isaac."

Mr. Lahey is shocked but snorts in disbelief. "Who do you think you are little girl? Talking to me about my own son…"

"The son you abuse for no reason besides the fact that you're a sick son of a bitch!"

Mr. Lahey moves toward Erica but Boyd and Lydia get in his way. Melissa McCall and Sheriff Stilinski make their presence known by stepping in front of Mr. Lahey.

"We are in a hospital. Now is not the time for shouting matches."

The Sheriff nods. "Melissa is right. Now, any of you people want to fill me in on what the shouting is about?"

Mr. Lahey opens his mouth but Boyd speaks up first. "Mr. Lahey has been abusing Isaac for years."

"That's not true, Sheriff. These kids are liars and it's disgusting that they would say such things while my son is laying in a hospital bed."

Erica snorts. "You may not have put him in the hospital bed this time but that doesn't make you innocent. You've hurt him enough."

Sheriff Stilinski holds up a hand and looks everyone in the eye. "These are serious accusations, kids. Do you have any evidence of the alleged abuse?"

Lydia notices the small smirk on Mr. Lahey's face and narrows her eyes. She looks at Erica glaring at Isaac's father before turning to Boyd, he nods and Mr. Lahey's face contorts with rage. She clears her throat and the Sheriff looks to her.

"There is a freezer in Isaac's basement. His father has been locking him in there over the years as a form of punishment. Isaac told us about it because Boyd and I have been talking to him about possibly filing for emancipation."

Sheriff Stilinski turns to Mr. Lahey and the coward makes a run for the hospital doors. Unfortunately for Mr. Lahey, Melissa McCall manages to nail him in the back of the head with a stapler.

"Wow. That's some aim, Melissa."

Melissa shrugs. "I'm the single mom of a teenage boy that always finds his way into some kind of trouble."

Sheriff Stilinski shakes his head and smirks as he hulls Mr. Lahey to the nearest deputy. The deputy takes Mr. Lahey while the Sheriff gets statements from Lydia, Boyd and Erica.

Erica and Boyd eventually go home but Lydia decides to stay in the hospital. Melissa lends Lydia her extra set of scrubs before letting her stay in Isaac's room; she is extremely grateful to Melissa.

She watches Isaac sleep. He's battered and unconscious because of her stupid decision to look for Jackson, who ended up being drunk but perfectly fine. She just wants him to wake up and smile shyly at her… like he did earlier at the dance. She wants to tell him stupid things, meaningful things and anything that he might find interesting. She wants him to be safe, now that the Sheriff knows about the abuse. Lydia cares so much more deeply for Isaac Lahey than she realized.

Her musings are interrupted when Sheriff Stilinski stops by to let Lydia know the freezer was found and Mr. Lahey is being booked at the station. She stops him before he can leave.

"What's going to happen to Isaac?"

The Sheriff glances at Isaac for a moment before looking back to Lydia. "Melissa is trying to see if she can become his foster parent. She just has to talk to a social worker and her son before anything can be decided."

Lydia sighs with relief. "Mrs. McCall is amazing."

"Yeah, kid. She is." Sheriff Stilinski smiles and leaves the room.

Melissa and Scott won't hurt Isaac or make him feel like a burden. Isaac will be safe and happy with the McCall's. She just hopes that he won't be too angry with her or their friends for telling the police about his father.

She holds Isaac's hand as Scott McCall and Stiles Stilinski stumble into the room. They don't notice her right away since they are trying to shut the door quietly. The door squeaks noisily and they make faces at each other before turning to her and Isaac.

Stiles scratches his head, glances at Scott then turns back to Lydia. "Uh, hey, Lydia. Fancy seeing you here."

"I'm sure. What are you two doing in here?"

Scott fumbles with the bottom of his shirt. "We wanted to check on Isaac."

Lydia cocks an eyebrow. "Wanted to get to know your new house mate?"

Both boys stare at her blankly. Scott scrunches up his nose while Stiles stands open mouthed. "What are you talking about? I don't have any house mates. I mean, besides my mom."

Lydia sighs. "Right. The Sheriff said your mom still has to talk to you."

"Wait. Your moving in with Scott and his mom?"

"No. I'm not moving in with the McCall's." Lydia looks at Isaac and squeezes his hand. "Isaac is."

Scott and Stiles stare at her with confused expressions. Scott's head snaps in Isaac's direction as a gasp burst from Isaac's throat. Lydia jumps up from her chair but doesn't let go of Isaac's hand.

Stiles breaks the silence after nudging Scott. "Is he…?"

Scott stares at Isaac and nods. Lydia is confused by their behavior but ignores it because Isaac is awake. His blue eyes take in the hospital room before focusing on Lydia. "What happened?"

"You were attacked during the formal. Some guy…" Lydia breaks off because the cuts on Isaac's face are healing rapidly. "What the hell? Isaac, you're healing. Like right this moment."

Stiles fidgets and Scott clears his throat. "Um, yeah. I have something to tell you guys."


	4. Come Right Back To You

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update. Life and family stuff got in the way, it was also hard to figure out how to get things down in a way that I liked. I will be working on the next chapter soon and it will definitely not take as long to get up. Thank you for you patience and support ;)**

* * *

A month has passed since Isaac was attacked. Scott revealed that Isaac was bitten by an Alpha werewolf and Derek Hale took it upon himself to become Isaac's mentor.

Lydia hasn't seen Isaac since he left the hospital to move in with the McCall's. Scott and Derek agreed that it was too risky for Isaac to be around her, they didn't think he was capable of controlling himself. Lydia understands why they keep her away from him but it still hurts. She misses him so much because, even though she has Erica and Boyd, she doesn't feel whole without him.

Isaac Lahey haunts her dreams as a fantasy of what used to be. Now that he is a werewolf, Lydia isn't sure of what will happen between them. She heard from Stiles that Mr. Lahey can't go near Isaac because of a restraining order that is in place until his trial for the years of abuse Isaac had to go through. Stiles becomes her friend, he also keeps her updated on Isaac and other supernatural on goings.

Erica and Boyd are worried about Isaac but are also in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. They hang out with Lydia, and sometimes Stiles whenever Scott is with Allison. Allison reaches out to Lydia and she decides to give their friendship another chance since the both of them have recently learned about what actually goes bump in the night in Beacon Hills.

The oddest thing about school these days is that Jackson seems to have mellowed out since the night of the Winter Formal. Scott says Jackson got the bite from Derek and it gave him a sense of belonging since he accepted Derek as his Alpha. He's also more attached to Danny's hip than ever. Lydia suspects he might actually be in a romantic relationship with Danny; which isn't that farfetched since Danny hasn't been too heartbroken over his recent breakup but neither guy has officially commented on their change of status. Lydia is surprised that she doesn't feel hurt anymore by her broken relationship with Jackson. She thinks that might be because of Isaac.

She spends the night of the full moon at her house with Stiles and Allison, Scott and Isaac are being locked away with Jackson by Alpha Derek. They watch some cheesy romcom when a crash startles them. Allison whips out a mini crossbow and Stiles grabs a baseball bat but Lydia is frozen. She doesn't know where her friends hid their weapons or why they didn't warn her about a possible attack but she is not afraid. She can't explain it but she knows it's him. She also knows he would never hurt her, so she runs past Allison and Stiles to go to him.

Lydia finds Isaac in her kitchen. He's standing in her kitchen doorway and his face is wolfed out. She hears Allison or Stiles talking to her but she can't understand them. All she can understand is Isaac Lahey has finally come back to her. She approaches him slowly with her hand extended so she can hold his hand. Her heart aches in a good way because he's in front of her and he lets her join their hands.

"Isaac." She whispers his name with affection.

His golden eyes shift to his normal shade of blue and he closes his eyes before pulling her in for a hug. "They told me it wouldn't be safe for you to be around me. But I needed to see you."

Lydia's eyes water and she nods. "I know. I don't like not seeing you or not talking to you."

Isaac pushes back so Lydia can see his regular human face. "It's more than that. Lydia, the only thing that helped me stay grounded was the thought of you. The moon's pull is so strong and my senses are on fire because the world is so much more than I ever realized. I wanted to give into my new animalistic urges but I knew seeing you was more important."

Stiles and Allison are hovering a few feet away from them. Lydia doesn't care though; she only has eyes for Isaac. She smiles and squeezes his hand. "I was afraid you'd leave me behind and realize you could have any girl you wanted. I didn't realize how stupid I was being until you came here tonight. You're not that kind of guy and you being werewolf isn't going to change what we have."

Isaac smiles crookedly and pushed her hair out of her face. "Nothing will ever change what we have. I love you, Lydia."

Lydia grins brightly. "I know. I love you too, Isaac. Be my boyfriend?"

Isaac blushes and nods before kissing her. They pull apart when they hear claps coming from Stiles and Allison.

Allison smiles and looks down at her phone. "You two are so adorable. Scott said he'll let Derek know you are under control and that you found your anchor."


End file.
